Sheet metal fastener



April 7, 1942. H. w. KOST SHEET METAL FASTENER Filed May 22, 1941 eter.

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNlTED- STATES PATENT OFFICE zeta-use Harold W. K081,

Detroit Birmingham, Mich, Harvester mm, D f- 1, M II corporaticn of Michigan 1 as'llgnorto Application May 22,- 194i, Serial No. 394.648

101. ss-ec) 3Claims.

This invention relates to fastening devices butmore particularly to sheet metal fasteners deextent that the pressure referred to causes the stud to stretch and by so doing reduce in diam- Clips of the type now used do not have sufficient adjusting qualities to compensate for such a shrinkage in stud diameters Thereafter,

the parts are not firmly held together and as a arms or tongues that impart pressure against the stud axially to retain the parts securely in assembled relation but in such manner that the assembly of the nut to the stud remains tight at all times even at extreme temperatures.

Another object is to produce a sheet metal fastening device of the above character which is provided with oppositely arranged stud-engaging arms or tongues which when the fastener is in applied position, exerts its major force against the opposite sides of the stud and in a direction at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the stud. 1

A further object is to produce a sheet metal fastener which is formed with opposed flexible tongues deformed to engage the threads of a threaded stud and which is adapted when in applied position, to bind upon the screw threads and impinge upon the root of the screw in an inclined direction toward the body of the fastener and toward the longitudinal axis of the screw.

Another object is to produce a one-piece sheet metal fastener having the new and improved features of construction, arrangement and operation hereinafter described, and, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing in which ure 1 is a top perspective view of the fastener; k

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the fastener; Figure 3 is an end elevation of the fastener; Figure 4 is a top plan view of the fastener;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the fastener;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fastener applied to a plastic stud;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of an alternate form of fastener in which barbs or prongs are formed in the tongues in such manner as to engage the thread of a screw; and

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fastener shown in Figure 7 applied to a screw for holding a pair of apertured panels in assem bled relation.

The illustrated embodiment of the. invention shown on Figures. 1 to 6 comprises a substantially rectangular body portion it which-is of spring sheet metal and in the normal position as indicated on Figure 1 it is cambered or arched upwardly in a longitudinal manner. Struck from the body portion i0 is a pair of arms or tongues Il'with the free end portions I2 thereof bent upwardly in a direction away from the body portion it. It will be observed that each of the tongues H has a portion I8 which inclines outwardly'away from the body portion and inwardly in a direction toward the opposite tongue. The tongue portion i3 merges into an elongate portion it which is substantially horizontallydisposed although inclining slightly downwardly from its point of connection with the portion 53. The upwardly bent end portion ii on each of the tongues H provides a curvilinear surface it for engagement with a plain shank stud. Struck from each tongue H in the region of the upturned portion I2 is a substantially L- shaped prong or barb it, the free end portions of which are arranged to impinge against or bite into the surface of the stud as will hereinafter appear.

It will be apparent from the above description that the fastener provides a stud-receiving aperture A which is bounded by the curvilinear surfaces it: of the upturned ends 62 of the tongues and the edges of the body portion adjacentthe tongues. In use, the fastener is applied to a stud of somewhat greater diameter than the distance between the curvilinear. surfaces l5 when the tongues H are in normal or un'fiexed condition, so that when the fastener is applied to,

a stud, such as S in Figure 6, the tongues Ii will be flexed outwardly. The fastener is forced down over the stud until it engages the surface of'the panel P. Thereupon, pressure may be imparted to it to remove the camber of the body Ill so that the fastener lies flatly against the panel in applied position, although this operation is not necessary but such action increases the pressure of thetongues toward each. other longitudinally on the stud S. Although the flexing movement of the tongues II in applied position is generally in a direction toward each other so that the curvilinear surfaces IE will snugly embrace opposite sides of the stud S, nevertheless this movement is in a gentle arc toward the body portion ID of the fastener, substantially as indicated by the arrow a on Figure 2.

It will be manifest that the spring action setup is such as to impart pressure against the stud S toward the longitudinal axis thereof and then any force exerted to disturb this relationship would tend to further urge the opposing tongues inwardly and downwardly and prevent any tendency to pull outwardly on the stud from the base thereof, and due to the arrangement of barbs |8, any tendency of the stud to come loose is prevented.

In view of the construction and arrangement of the tongues H as above described, it will be manifest that the stud S is embraced in such manner that the formation of grooves due to softening of the plastic stud under heat is prevented. The stud is engagedover a substantial conditions grooves or notches would be formed in the soft stud which would afford a certain amount of play or looseness when the stud became hard again. All of these objections are overcome in the present fastener because of the manner in which forces are imparted to the stud S by the tongues.

In the form of the invention shown on Figures 7 and 8. the upstanding portion In of each tongue Ila is formed with a plurality of lips or prongs H which are struck from the portions Ila. The prongs "are arranged in such manner as to conform generally to the helix of the screw thread C to which the fastener is to be applied. The spacing of the prongs is greater than the pitch of the thread so that when pressure is exerted on the fastener to remove the camber from the body, it will be understood from the above description that the prongs II will not only bind on the thread of the screw' but also impinge into the root diameter of the in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A fastener comprising a longitudinally cambered spring metal body, a pair of cooperating tongues struck from the body with the free end portions adjacent each other, upturned end portions on said tongues providing a stud-receiving opening therebetween of a diameter less than the diameter of the stud for which the fastener is intended. said upturned end portions being shaped snugly to embrace the stud for which the fastener is intended and of such dimension as to engage same over a substantial area thereof, each tongue adjacent the body inclining abruptly away from the body and then merging into an elongate portion disposed substantially parallel to said body and terminating in said upturned end portion whereby the tongues are urged in an arcuate path toward the stud and inwardly toward said body.

2. A fastener comprising a longitudinally cambered spring metal body, a pair of cooperating tongues struck from the body with the free end portions adjacent each other, upturned curvilinear end portions on said tongues providing a stud-receiving opening therebetween of a diameter less than the diameter of the stud for which Under some 4 the fastener is intended, prongs struck from said tongues arranged to impinge against the study in applied position, the tongues being so constructed and arranged that upon removing the camber from thebody, the tongues impart the major portion of their force toward the stud in a direction at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof.

3. A fastener comprising a longitudinally cambered spring metal body, a pair of cooperating tongues struck from the body with the free end portions adjacent each other, upturned curvilinear end portions on said tongues providing a stud-receiving opening therebetween of a diameter less than the diameter of the stud for which the fastener is intended, prongs struck from said tongues and arranged to conform generally to the screw thread on the stud but spaced a distance greater than the pitch thereof, the tongues being so constructed and arranged that upon removing the camber from the body, the tongues impart the major portion of their forcetoward the stud in a direction at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof.

HAROLD w. KOST. 

